| 1 box | BARILLA Penne |
| 1/4 cup | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | small onion, finely chopped |
| 1 | garlic clove, finely chopped |
| 1 | stalk celery, finely chopped |
| 1 | carrot, peeled and finely chopped |
| 1/4 teaspoon | salt, plus more to taste |
| 1/2 teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| 1 (28 ounce) can | crushed tomatoes |
| 1 | dried bay leaf |
| 8 | anchovy filets packed in olive oil, minced |
| 3/4 cup | pitted kalamata olives, halved |
| 2 tablespoons | drained capers |
| 1 teaspoon | dried red pepper flakes |
| 3 tablespoons | chopped fresh Italian parsley |
HEAT the oil in a large casserole pot over a medium flame. ADD the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes.
ADD the celery, carrot, and 1/4 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
ADD the tomatoes and bay leaf, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add 1 cup water if sauce gets too thick. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
PLACE the chopped anchovies and some oil from the can of anchovies in a heavy medium skillet. Stir over medium heat until the anchovies melt, about 2 minutes.
ADD the olives, capers, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until the olives are heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir the olive mixture into the sauce. Simmer over medium heat until the flavors blend, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Season the sauce with more salt to taste.
BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil.
ADD the penne and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. ADD the penne to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten.
TRANSFER pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Giada De Laurentiis